The biting cold coming to the KVOE listening area as soon as Friday will likely stay a while.
Light snow and a light wintry mix are possible through the morning hours Friday. Totals will be minimal, but there could be some slick driving conditions as a result.
With subzero wind chills possibly through Monday night — and overnight wind chills possibly going to -10 to -30 at times, the city of Emporia and Lyon County have announced they are reinstating the Emporia Police lobby, 518 Mechanic, and the Sheriff’s Office lobby, 425 Mechanic, as warming shelters for people in need. Pets are welcomed at both locations if owners can keep them controlled.
Also, Raise Your Paws, 312 Commercial, will be a warming shelter. Hours are 8 am-noon and 1-5 pm Monday-Friday. Friendly and leashed dogs are welcome.
The city is asking other locations serving as warming shelters to email City Communications Manager Christine Torrens at ctorrens@emporiaks.gov so the public can be advised of all shelter locations.
Meanwhile, local auto shops are encouraging you to check your vehicles and make minor adjustments if needed. Blackcreek Diesel and Automotive shop foreman Lance Dale says one obvious thing to check will be fluids. Another thing to watch: the check engine light.
Express Tire and Auto owner John Ingold says batteries typically don’t fare well when it gets this cold.
Both Dale and Ingold also says residents need to check tire pressures.
School districts are adjusting after a combination of heavy snow and driving winds caused a laundry list of schedule adjustments earlier this week. USD 251 North Lyon County Superintendent Bob Blair’s district has been closed all week due to travel conditions.
Districts are also increasingly concerned about the blast of cold air hitting the area Friday through Tuesday. Speaking of which, with residents no doubt taking precautions to keep themselves safe from the frigid temperatures, local veterinarians are asking them to take the same steps with their pets.
Dr. Haley DeLong of Eastside Emporia Vet Clinic says when it comes to the frigid temperatures animals, despite their furry coats, are susceptible to afflictions such as frostbite and hypothermia just like humans. She says a great way to reduce the risk to animals is to protect their more sensitive areas, namely their paws and paw pads, before making a trip outdoors.
DeLong adds owners should also make sure their pets are dry when they return home, properly fed and hydrated and you should regularly check your animals for signs of frostbite such as discoloration on their skin and paws.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for more weather updates as they develop. If you have schedule adjustments — closings, cancellations, delays or postponements — to announce, call KVOE at 620-342-1400, email kvoe@kvoe.com or message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863. To find us on social media, look for Facebook@kvoenews, Instagram@kvoenews, YouTube@kvoenews or X@kvoeam1400.
9:30 am Thursday: WEATHER: Warming shelters active at Emporia Police, Lyon County Sheriff lobbies and Raise Your Paws
The biting cold coming to the KVOE listening area as soon as Friday will likely stay a while.
With subzero wind chills possibly through Monday night — and overnight wind chills possible going to -10 to -30 at times, the city of Emporia and Lyon County have announced they are reinstating the Emporia Police lobby, 518 Mechanic, and the Sheriff’s Office lobby, 425 Mechanic, as warming shelters for people in need. Pets are welcomed at both locations if owners can keep them controlled.
Also, Raise Your Paws, 312 Commercial, will be a warming shelter. Hours are 8 am-noon and 1-5 pm Monday-Friday. Friendly and leashed dogs are welcome.
The city is asking other locations serving as warming shelters to email City Communications Manager Christine Torrens at ctorrens@emporiaks.gov so the public can be advised of all shelter locations.
6 am Thursday: Winter weather advisories, wind chill watches ahead
More wintry weather is ahead the next few days, and some could well be considered extreme.
A wintry mix of precipitation and light snow is possible Thursday evening into early Friday, causing Lyon, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties to be in a winter weather advisory from 3 pm Thursday to noon Friday. Up to 2 inches of snowfall is expected areawide, and the wintry mix currently is setting up along the Kansas Turnpike.
Brutally cold air follows. Highs will struggle to the mid-teens Friday with wind chills below zero for most of the day — and it gets worse from there, with overnight lows below zero Friday night through Monday night and wind chills expected to be -10 to -35 at times. Wind chill watches affect all area counties from 6 pm Friday to noon Tuesday, and wind chill watches, warnings and/or advisories stretch from Kansas north to the Dakotas and Montana.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for more weather updates as they develop.
